Banana Pancakes Recipe – Love and Lemons

Pictured above is what my ideal Saturday morning looks like. Except, well, I don’t eat 7 pancakes on my individual plate, but Jack would if I put this whole plate in front of him. Portion control aside, if you have a ripe banana hanging around, give these a try! This is an easy one-bowl recipe that just happens to be vegan, because bananas help baked goods (or in this case, skillet goods) rise without the need for eggs.

Why I Love These Vegan Banana Pancakes

To be honest, I’m not a huge fan of bananas on their own, but I love them baked into muffins or bread, and now in these healthy banana pancakes!

To make these pancakes a wholesome breakfast on their own, I use a mixture of oat flour and whole wheat pastry flour, which makes them soft and delicate. I add cinnamon and nutmeg to give them a warm, spiced banana flavor. And with plenty of sweetness from ripe bananas, they require no added sweetener. (Though I don’t hesitate to serve them with a generous drizzle of maple syrup.)

Of course, I use almond milk instead of dairy milk and olive oil instead of butter to make these pancakes dairy-free. Flax takes the place of eggs in this recipe, so it’s entirely vegan. 🙂

Tips for Making A+ Banana Pancakes

Don’t overmix! If your batter is too well-combined, your pancakes will be rubbery, not light and fluffy. If there are a few lumps in your batter, that’s ok.

Adjust the heat as you cook. Typically, I start with my pan over medium heat, but I lower it during cooking to ensure that the pancakes cook evenly. If your heat is too high, the outsides will burn while the insides stay raw.

Wipe out the pan if you have excess oil on the sides – left alone, it will burn.

Add oil between batches. Nothing’s worse than a pancake that sticks to the pan, so brush your skillet with olive oil each time you’re ready to pour in new batter.

Be mindful of your timing. This vegan batter is thick, so it doesn’t bubble up as much as traditional pancake batter might. I usually cook pancakes for 2 minutes per side, but I cook these for about 1 1/2 minutes per side.

Get creative with this recipe!

Fold a scoop of chocolate chips or blueberries into the batter, or change up the spices! A dash of cardamom or ginger would be a great addition. And though I’m partial to maple syrup, peanut butter, almond butter, or your favorite fresh fruit would also make delicious toppings.

Let me know how this vegan pancake recipe turns out for you in the comments, and enjoy!

Vegan Banana Pancakes

1 tablespoon ground flaxseed

3 tablespoons water

½ cup mashed banana (about 1 large)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing

1 teaspoon vanilla

¾ cup almond milk (1 to 2 teaspoons more if the batter is too thick)

1½ cup whole wheat pastry flour*

½ cup oat flour**

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon nutmeg

heaping ¼ teaspoon sea salt

Maple syrup, banana slices, pecans, for serving

In a large bowl, combine the flaxseed, water, and banana. Mash and stir until well combined. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes to thicken. Add the olive oil, vanilla, and almond milk and whisk. Add the flour and sprinkle the baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt evenly over the top. Whisk until all the ingredients are combined, but the batter is still a bit lumpy. The batter will be a bit thick but if it’s too thick to pour, stir in 1 to 2 teaspoons more almond milk.

Heat a nonstick skillet or griddle to medium heat. Brush the skillet with a little olive oil and use a ⅓-cup measuring cup to pour the batter onto the pan. Use the back of the cup to gently spread the batter a little more. Cook the pancakes until bubbles appear, about 1½ minutes per side, turning the heat to low as needed so that the middles cook without burning the outsides. I usually start with medium heat and move to low heat as my pan starts to hold residual heat after each batch.

Serve with maple syrup, bananas, and pecans, if desired.

*I like Bob’s Red Mill Whole Wheat Pastry Flour*To make the oat flour, use a food processor or a blender to process a heaping ½ cup rolled oats into a fine flour and measure out one level ½ cup.